INTRODUCTION. IX 



mons and improved agriculture, as well as in- 

 crease of population and fire-arms, have all had 

 their share in driving away the wild fowl ; and 

 Lincolnshire, now probably the best-farmed 

 county in the kingdom, can boast but little of its 

 former ornithological preeminence. 



In that curious old poem, Dray ton's 'Poly- 

 olbion ' (song 25), which Sir Thomas Browne 

 quaintly terms " a prettie booke, writ in smooth 

 verse," we find a glowing description of the 

 " fennes " and their goodly flocks of various 

 " fowles " : 



Teal ; the Goosander, 



" His head as ebon blacke, the rest as white as snowe ;" 

 Golden-eyes, Coots and " Sneath " [Smew?] ; 



" The Water-woozel next, all over black as jet ;" 

 The " diving dobchick ;" puffin, 

 " Which, coming to the dish, 

 Nice palates hardly judge if it be flesh or fish ;" 



The "stately Crane," "like" [Wild Swan], 

 "palate-pleasing Snite" [Snipe], "Bid-cocks" 

 [Water-hens]; the "buzzing Bitter" [Bittern], 



" Which through his hollow beak 

 A sudden bellowing sends, which many times doth fill 

 The neighbouring marsh with noise, as though a bull 

 did roar ;" 



